by Rita Herron
The man’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed against the steering wheel.
A siren wailed. Backup had arrived. Lucas handcuffed the man to the steering wheel, then phoned Harrison and filled him in.
“We’re transporting the girls to the hospital. Bring Charlotte. They need to see her.”
Chapter Twenty
Lucas explained the situation to the medics. “I’m riding with you to the hospital. I want to talk to him the minute he wakes up.”
They agreed, and he went to talk to Dexter and the girls. The sisters were huddled together, terrified and wide-eyed, but obviously relieved to be rescued. Mae Lynn sat catatonic on the end of a gurney, looking pale and in shock.
“Where’s Evie?” Lucas asked.
Fear darkened the sisters’ eyes. “We don’t know,” the oldest one said. “They dragged her out of the van, put her in another one and took off.”
“What about Ms. Charlotte?” the younger sister asked.
“Is she... Did she die?” the younger one asked.
Lucas wanted to soften the blow, but he wouldn’t lie to the girls. “She survived and has been worried sick about you.”
“We want to see her,” the sister cried.
“We’ll make that happen,” Lucas assured them. “Although the blow to Charlotte’s head caused her to experience vision loss. The doctors don’t know if it’s permanent or temporary.” He offered them a sympathetic smile. “She’s going to meet you at the hospital. Dexter will drive you.”
Lucas climbed in the back of the ambulance with the unconscious driver.
He didn’t intend to let the creep out of his sight.
* * *
A HALF HOUR LATER, Charlotte paced the waiting room at the hospital, waiting on the doctor to let her visit her students. Mrs. Hawk pushed a cup of coffee into her hands.
Lucas explained that one of the kidnappers was dead, and the other was in surgery. The FBI were watching the club where the auction had taken place, but were waiting to make arrests until they had information on Evie.
From Lucas’s report, Mae Lynn wasn’t doing well.
Charlotte brushed at tears and felt a soft hand squeeze her shoulder. Mrs. Hawk. She recognized the scent of the lavender that surrounded her.
“What will happen to them when they’re released from the hospital?” Mrs. Hawk asked.
Charlotte sighed. Another worry. “I don’t know. They’ll probably go back into the system.” Although Mae Lynn might need psychological help.
“You know I’ve been thinking,” Mrs. Hawk said. “I mean, I haven’t met these girls, and they might not be interested, but...I have a big house and a lot of empty bedrooms.”
Charlotte rubbed her temple. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t know what it takes to become a foster parent, but maybe the girls could stay at the ranch for a while.”
Charlotte’s eyes burned with tears. Although she’d feared she wouldn’t like Mrs. Hawk, she and the woman had connected. And now she was offering her home to Charlotte’s students. “That is awfully generous of you. The girls would love the ranch. Adrian and Agnes are obsessed with horses. But I’ll warn you. These girls had rough lives, and that was before the kidnapping. There could be deep-seated psychological trauma now.”
Mrs. Hawk brushed a strand of Charlotte’s hair away from her face. “Then they’re lucky they’ll have you to help them navigate their way.”
Self-doubt plagued Charlotte. “I want to be there for them, but I’m not sure what good I can do now.”
Mrs. Hawk cupped Charlotte’s face in her hands. Like her touch, her voice was gentle. “You are exactly what they need, dear.”
Charlotte clung to the woman’s words, hoping she could live up to Mrs. Hawk’s faith in her. Then she wrapped her courage around her like a cloak and prayed they’d find Evie.
* * *
LUCAS SAW THE worry on Charlotte’s face and wanted to comfort her. “We’re waiting on the doctors to finish their evaluation, then you can see the girls.”
“How did they seem?” Charlotte asked.
“The sisters are shaken, and it was evident that they’d been drugged. Other than that, they don’t appear to be physically harmed. They claimed they were not sexually assaulted.”
Relief filled Charlotte’s sigh. “Thank God. But you said Mae Lynn seemed more traumatized?”
He nodded. He wouldn’t speculate on her condition, but she hadn’t looked good.
Lucas placed a comforting hand on her arm. “What was going on with you and my mother?”
Charlotte smiled softly. “Your mother is amazing. She offered to let the girls stay at the ranch when they’re released.”
Lucas gaped at her in shock. “My mother wants to be a foster parent?”
Charlotte smiled. “It was her idea. She said she had a lot of empty bedrooms.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I think it’s a good idea, but we’ll have to go through Child and Family Services.”
Lucas’s heart warmed. His mother had been devastated after they’d lost Chrissy.
Taking care of these teens might be the purpose she needed in life.
A doctor appeared, his face solemn as he introduced himself. “Do any of the teens you brought in have family?”
“No,” Lucas answered. “They’re all foster children.” He’d made calls to inform those parents that the girls had been found. They had sounded relieved, but all were reluctant to take traumatized kidnap victims back into their homes.
Charlotte extended her hand and introduced herself. “I’ve been working with the girls in an art-therapy program. They were at my studio when they were kidnapped. How are they?”
“I’m aware of the incident,” the doctor said. “How are you doing, Ms. Reacher?”
“I’m just worried about my students,” Charlotte said.
“They are traumatized and shaken, but physically okay. They were given Rohypnol, but the effects aren’t permanent. I’d suggest they stay overnight for observation.”
“How about the girl named Mae Lynn?” Lucas asked.
“I’m concerned about her. So far she hasn’t spoken or responded to any of us. The psychologist said she needs time and patience. She also may need an in-house therapy program.”
“I have to see them,” Charlotte said, her voice strained.
The doctor looked to Lucas for approval, and Lucas nodded. “They witnessed Charlotte being shot. They need to see that she didn’t die trying to save them.”
* * *
LUCAS WAS RIGHT. Charlotte repeatedly reminded herself to be strong as the doctor escorted her to Agnes and Adrian’s room.
Mae Lynn was in a private room awaiting more tests.
Nerves rippled through her as she entered the sisters’ hospital room. She wished she could see their faces, their expressions.
But a second later, she realized she didn’t need to.
“Ms. Charlotte!”
Agnes’s voice.
Footsteps sounded as Agnes ran to her and threw her arms around her. Adrian followed, her shriek echoing through the room. The force of the two of them throwing themselves at Charlotte nearly threw her off balance. Lucas caught her, his murmur of reassurance blending with the girls’ cries as their tears soaked Charlotte’s blouse.
She didn’t care about the dampness. She wrapped her arms around them, rocking them in her arms. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” Charlotte whispered into their hair.
“We were so worried about you,” Adrian sobbed.
“I’m sorry you got shot,” Agnes cried.
“Shh, it’s all right. I’m fine, and you’re going to be okay, too.”
She held them until their sobs slowly subsided, then with the help of Lucas, she coaxed the girls b
ack to bed. The girls climbed on one bed together, and Charlotte sat on the end, clutching their hands in hers.
“Now talk to me,” she said. “I want to know what happened while you were gone.”
* * *
EVIE FELT DIZZY AGAIN. More drugs. She could have sworn they were driving in circles. She’d heard the same sound, a train, more than once.
Why would they drive in circles? To throw her off and make her think they were farther away from Tumbleweed than they were?
And what had they done with Agnes and Adrian, and poor Mae Lynn? That girl worried her. She needed to be stronger, to fight.
Evie licked her lips, but her mouth was so dry that she could hardly swallow.
Suddenly the van came to a screeching halt. She clawed at the wall to keep from sliding to the other side and hitting her head.
Willing herself to be strong and look for the right moment to run, she stretched her legs, but they felt weak, rubbery.
The back door of the van squeaked as it was opened. She held her breath, blinking back tears. She refused to cry.
Footsteps pounded on the metal floor as the man approached. It was so dark in the van she couldn’t see his face, but he was big. The biggest one with the tattoos. The one who’d shot Ms. Charlotte.
She bit back a scream as he shoved some kind of cover over her head so she couldn’t see.
Then he grabbed her arm and hauled her to the back of the van. A second later, her feet hit the ground. She fell, hoping to slow him by making herself heavy and limp. That just angered him. He picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and kept walking. She beat at his back with her bound hands. “Where are you taking me?”
“Stop fighting and behave,” he growled.
She choked back a response. She would never stop fighting.
Chapter Twenty-One
Charlotte hugged the sisters one more time. “Will you two be all right here tonight?”
“Now we know you’re okay and we’re away from those men, we will be,” Agnes said.
“But we have to find Evie.” Adrian sighed, guilt and fear tingeing her voice. “Evie really held it together, she held us together.”
Charlotte’s throat clogged with emotion. “She is special,” she said softly. “And we will find her. Agent Hawk and Sheriff Hawk won’t give up until they do.”
They hugged again. “What about you?” Adrian asked. “Are you going to be okay, Ms. Charlotte?”
Charlotte sucked in a deep breath. She couldn’t lie to these girls, not after what they’d been through. “My vision loss may be temporary. We’re not sure. But I’m working with a vision-rehabilitation therapist to help me adjust. I...will probably have to stop art classes for a while.” And redo the studio if she reopened.
“As long as we can still visit or hang out with you, that’s okay,” Agnes said.
Charlotte squeezed their hands. “I promise. I’m here for you. Anytime you want to talk, just call.”
“What about our foster family?” Adrian asked.
“I’m not certain what will happen yet,” she said. “But I may know someone else who wants to be your foster mother. If it works out, I think you’ll love it.”
“Who is it?” Agnes asked in an anxious tone.
“I can’t say yet. We have to go through the channels, but she’s interested.” Charlotte stood. “Now, I want to visit Mae Lynn before they throw me out of the hospital tonight.” She paused. “I’ll be back tomorrow, and I’ll talk to your case worker about where you go from here.”
She buzzed the nurse and seconds later, Haley appeared and guided her to Mae Lynn’s room.
* * *
“HE’S OUT OF recovery and stirring,” the doctor told Lucas. “But he needs rest—”
“I don’t give a damn what he needs,” Lucas said. “The bastard is part of a human-trafficking ring that abducted those four girls from the art studio in Tumbleweed.”
“That may be true, but as a physician, my job is to look out for the patient’s best interest.”
Lucas folded his arms. “Listen to me, one of the girls is still missing. A girl named Evie. She’s thirteen years old and in the hands of men who are selling her as a sex slave. Every second we waste means she’s getting farther and farther away.”
In spite of the doctor’s concern for his patient, anger flashed in his eyes. “All right, you can go in.”
Lucas thanked him, then stepped into the room and closed the door. The man was on his back, an IV hooked to him, as well as a heart monitor and oxygen tube.
Lucas crossed the room to the bed, and studied the monster who’d terrified Charlotte’s students. Knowing the IV fed the man painkillers, Lucas barely restrained himself from yanking it from his arm.
Instead, he inhaled sharply then nudged his shoulder. “Wake up and talk to me, you bastard.”
The man moaned, then opened his eyes and blinked, obviously disoriented.
Lucas cleared his throat. “You’re in the hospital, and you’re going to prison for a long time. If you want any kind of deal, you need to talk.”
Confusion clouded the man’s face, then awareness as he sorted through Lucas’s words.
Lucas placed his fingers on the man’s arm in a viselike grip. “Where is the other girl, the one named Evie?”
The man’s eyes flickered with unease, then he shook his head. “Don’t know.”
Anger hardened Lucas’s heart. “One of your partners is dead. Who’s calling the shots and what did they do with Evie?”
“Don’t know,” he mumbled again.
Lucas pressed his hand on the man’s knee where he’d been shot and applied pressure until his eyes bulged in pain.
“I’m going to ask you one more time. Who is the leader and where is Evie?”
The man’s jaw tightened. “I told you I don’t know. We operate anonymously.”
Lucas kept his hand on the man’s knee, hinting that he would inflict more pain if he didn’t talk. “How do you make connections and get your orders?”
“Burner phones. Texts. We get an address where to make a hit, then grab the Shetlands. Then we get word where to deliver the merchandise.”
Rage turned Lucas’s blood hot. “These are young girls, not Shetlands or merchandise, you sick SOB. Where did they take Evie?”
The man’s eyes widened as Lucas applied more pressure. “I told you I don’t know,” he said between clenched teeth.
“What do you know?” Lucas growled.
The man moaned again, his eyes rolling back in his head as if he was going to pass out. “Someone in Tumbleweed gave the orders. He wanted the last girl for himself.”
Lucas went still. “Someone in Tumbleweed?”
The man nodded. “He paid in advance.”
Lucas was seething. “Where were you supposed to deliver her?”
“One of the other operatives took the message. He took her while we handled transporting the other three to the auction.”
Lucas applied more pressure to the man’s knee, but he moaned and wailed that he didn’t know anything else.
The doctor burst through the door, eyes livid. “Agent Hawk—”
Lucas threw up his hands. “He’s all yours, Doc.”
Pulse hammering, he strode from the room to tell Harrison. They’d search every house or business in Tumbleweed if they had to.
* * *
“IS SHE AWAKE?” Charlotte asked Haley as they paused at the door.
“Not at the moment. But you can sit with her if you want. They say patients, even comatose ones, can hear when people talk to them.”
Charlotte licked her dry lips. “She’s always seemed more fragile than the others,” Charlotte said. “Her father abused her physically and mentally. She was just starting to open up to me.”
“She’ll come back
to you,” Haley said with confidence. “As a matter of fact, you may be just what she needs. Seeing you get shot was traumatic.”
Charlotte grasped her courage. She had to assure Mae Lynn she was fine, that she didn’t need to worry about her.
Haley patted her hand as she coaxed Charlotte into a chair. “You’re sitting beside her bed, on her left side. There’s an IV in her right arm. She was dehydrated, so we’re giving her fluids.”
Charlotte reached out to find Mae Lynn’s hand, and Haley helped her by placing it over Mae Lynn’s. “I’ll leave you alone for a few minutes.” Haley pushed the nurse-call button into Charlotte’s lap. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” She waited until she heard the door close, then she cradled Mae Lynn’s hand in between hers and pressed a kiss to her palm.
Mae Lynn’s breath hitched, then turned choppy.
“I’m here, Mae Lynn. It’s Ms. Charlotte. You and Agnes and Adrian are safe. You’re not with those men anymore. You’re at the hospital in Tumbleweed.”
Mae Lynn didn’t respond.
“I know you were scared, and that those men treated your terribly, but you’re going to be okay. You’re stronger than you think, sweetie.” She stroked the girl’s hand repeatedly. “I’m here, and I won’t leave you. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
She continued to stroke Mae Lynn’s hand and talk to her, relaying stories about when the girls had first met in her class to the art projects they’d worked on individually and together.
“You have real talent, Mae Lynn,” Charlotte said softly. “You’re strong inside. If you need to rest, that’s fine, rest. But remember that you are loved. I love you and so do Agnes and Adrian and Evie.”
A strangled sound echoed from the bed.
Charlotte tensed, then squeezed Mae Lynn’s hand. “I’m here, honey. I’m right by your side.”
“Ms. Charlotte?”
Mae Lynn’s voice was weak, raw with pain.
“Yes, honey, I’m here.”
Mae Lynn squeezed her hand in return, and relief flooded Charlotte.
“I thought you were dead,” Mae Lynn whispered.